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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Anyone want a secondary transfer support thread?

345 replies

HarrietJones · 13/06/2011 09:19

dd1 is going up in September, had an interview with her year tutor last week and induction days in a couple of weeks.
I've started looking at uniform & it's getting closer!

OP posts:
Madsometimes · 13/06/2011 11:20

I'm signing in for Y7 September 2011.

Dd had a visit from a staff member to her primary school. We have ordered the uniform, and are waiting for it to arrive. Dd1 is so nervous because she is the only one from her primary going to this school.

mrsmummy · 13/06/2011 11:25

me too

Ds has an induction visit to his school end of June, we have a parents meeting the day after, all his uniform now ordered. Still worrying whether we have made the right choice for him - most of his friends are going to another school - no way was he going there - he agreed but I know he will miss some of his friends though he knows loads going to his new school. Mind you before all that i need to get through the end of year play and leavers service and I just know I will cry...........

Original poster
HarrietJones · 13/06/2011 11:37

Oh I'm a cryer too Blush

There's only a couple at dd1s school not going as there's only one secondary here. Although there is about 200 in a year so still a jump from 60!

OP posts:
MynameisTerces · 13/06/2011 12:58

marking place as well

mrsmummy · 13/06/2011 13:10

we had a choice of 3 one def ruled out and was between the other 2 just hope we got it right, though ds is happy with the choice so that's the main thing

joencaitlinsmum · 13/06/2011 14:36

I could do with someone holding my hand from now till September especially as my DS has ASD so it will be doubly hard for us both.

We had our first introduction to the school last week and he loved it infact wanted to start immediately! He is having extra transitional visits this week and next so fingers crossed he stays a happy bunny!

HappyHome · 14/06/2011 20:15

Oooh can I join you! DS is the only one going from his primary school so is quite nervous, it was both his and our first choice though. He is attending a transition visit at another local primary next week and then has an induction day next month.

He seems ready to move on - I'm just not sure that I'm ready for him to!

maypole1 · 14/06/2011 20:32

Me too my son was suffering bullying at old school so very worried but went on Monday to see the new school have been their before but I feel those things are a bit staged so wanted to have a look in a normal school day.

And it was fab I was so pleased and guess what the class sizes are only 20

I think I am more worried about him moving then he his.

What if his induction day Dose not go well

whoknowswho · 14/06/2011 21:14

Yes please can I join too. My DS is starting y7 in sept too and again he is the only one from his primary going to this school. Not even thought about uniform yet. He has a full day at the school next week to meet his peers and form tutor etc., and we have a new parents meeting the week after - I'm assuming they will have uniform for sale etc., then? Again he is more than ready for the move but I'm not... will be weeping all through the y6 show and prizegiving and probably won't stop til the second week in October!!!!!!

crazymum53 · 15/06/2011 14:03

Good idea - I need to join this too. dd is starting Y7 in September too and is my first child to reach this level. Have had parents meeting and chance to look at the uniform. dd has induction day on Fri 24th June. There are 3 children going to this school from her primary and intake is approx 200 whereas 75 in current Y6.
They don't find out their tutor groups until the day they start - is this unusual ?

whoknowswho · 15/06/2011 14:34

crazymum - i do think it is unusual to not find out the tutor groups until the start day (although ds is my first to go to secondary so I am no expert!!!) We've had a letter this week outlining the house group he will be in (some of the uniform is "house specific") and the name of his form tutor and teaching groups. I'm guessing he will be meeting the teachers on the induction day next week. At the moment I'm more worried about him going on the Y6 field trip for two nights next week - he's never slept away from home without mum and dad before!!!!!! boo hoo :(

Korinna · 17/06/2011 14:23

Hello there I would like to join too please.

Ds is starting year 7 this September - I am not British and my dh is Scottish so it's all new to us Confused

ds has 2 induction days in July and I have a meeting with one of his form tutors at the end of the month.

My major gripe is that ds is dyspraxic and academic, in other words the perfect recipe for nerdiness, a quiet child who is into books and creating stop-motion animations but he is not sporty at all (massive coordination issues) so he is not at all part of the boys in-crowd of football and rugby....

qumquat · 19/06/2011 16:54

Good luck to you, I'm just coming to the end of the year as a Yr 7 form tutor and my form have loved their year! My top tip for you, make sure your DCs are used to being in charge of their own books, pencil cases and keeping track of deadlines and appointments in a planner/diary - practice this over the summer if needed! If they've mastered this bit of organisation it should make their transition so much easier!

Madsometimes · 19/06/2011 18:16

Qumquat that's dd1 buggered then Grin. We will use the summer to work on organisation I think, as advised.

cory · 19/06/2011 18:17

Us too. Can't wait tbh; ds is just marking time at primary. I know the secondary are brilliant with SN (ds has a joint disorder and I suspect him of being dyslexic/dyspraxic). And with a bit of luck he might even develop an interest in some school subject.

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 19/06/2011 20:01

I like a good support thread! DS2 also going up in Sept, with 3 others from his primary school. He has ASD so I'm quite nervous. He's having 2 transition days and also 3 hour long individual transition visits due to his SEN. Two visits next week.

We'll know tutor groups in a few weeks, but as there's only 4 of them in a year group of 245 I think they will put them together. I'll let you know. They get set in all subjects (including games, thank goodness!) from Christmas, though so aren't with their form for long. DS1 is at the same school.

I'm waiting to see if he grows some more before buying a blazer, but games kit is the biggest expense! Seems mad, especially as he hates games.

He'll never be organised, hopefully he'll get some help with that.

I think it's a bad policy not to let them know their tutor groups before the summer. They must have been decided! Not good for nervous children to drag it out over the whole summer holiday, surely?

HappyHome · 22/06/2011 17:07

My Ds had an transition meeting today. As he is the only one from his school going to his new school he had to attended it at one of the catchment schools, so a double whammy - a transition meeting for a new school at another school he's never been to before!!!

Anyway he was fine, he will be spending a day at his new school next month where he will get to know what form he's in and to meet his tutours. After todays meeting we both feel more relaxed although I'm guessing (on my part) this will change as September draws closer!

haggisaggis · 22/06/2011 17:19

My ds starts secondary in August (Scottish system). He has had his 2 transition days and he (and me to some extent) is so much happier. SChool is huge (about 1000) with 189 in teh first year intake - he is moving from a 60 pupil primary (having just moved from one with only 29!!) so this is a huge jump for him. He enjoyed the lessons - I think moving from class to class will suit him. STill worries about teh sheer size of teh older pupils though!

wakeupandsmellthecoffee · 22/06/2011 18:04

see I bloomin knew I was useless at links . but have a look as might be helpfull and hopefull reasuring

wakeupandsmellthecoffee · 23/06/2011 12:41

wwell that killed the thread didnt it . Sorry oops

Niecie · 23/06/2011 13:00

Hello, can I join in as well. DS1 is moving up in September. He also has mild AS and dyspraxia. He has just finished his 3 mornings of transition visits and has the normal induction visit with the whole of his intake next week. The parents have had our training too this week and we met his tutor which is useful as our 1st point of contact with the school if general problems arise but the rest is, of course, still unknown and I wish we could just get on with it! DS doesn't seem phased by it much which is good.

It will be sad to leave the juniors, especially as it will mean a whole new routine for all of us and we will have to get up earlier which I am not looking forward to. Blush I have had it cushy for the last 7 years as we live next door to the school but not any more.

Oh and DS is going to my old secondary so that is all a bit weird, especially as I never imagined I would be back living round here. Everything at the school looks sort of looks the same and sort of doesn't. I am not sure if my prior knowledge is a hinderance or a help to DS but at least I know the layout and my way round even if DS doesn't!

CointreauVersial · 23/06/2011 13:08

I have my first one, DS1, moving up in September. Most of his class are going up with him, and, best of all, he will be reunited with a couple of best mates from Infant school, who went to Junior schools elsewhere.

He's generally quite confident, but I sense that he's a teeny bit nervous. I think the induction day will help, but he's particularly worried about who he'll be in a class with.

But he is majorly too big for his boots at the moment, being one of the top dogs at school, and I think he will have a certain adjustment to make once he's bottom of the heap again. Does anyone else have this problem?

Oh yes, and his Primary uniform is held together with a wing and a prayer, because I won't replace anything with four weeks to go. Poor chap has shorts so tight he can barely bend down, and there are staples and superglue holding his shoes together. Grin

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 23/06/2011 13:21

DS2 is starting Yr7 in September. DS1 is only 2 years ahead of him, so it feels like I only did this 5 minutes ago! We're horribly calm I'm afraid. DS2 has been looking forward to this for a while, we've got all the inductions and uniform days coming up in the next couple of weeks and I've managed to rearrange all my work shifts so there's no problems with various meetings/end of year plays/parties. Something is bound to go wrong...

I'm really looking forward to the next couple of weeks, we didn't get to do any of this with poor DS1 - his primary school closed early because of Swine Flu, so we didn't get a decent finish with tears and emotions. By the the time they had their re-arranged 'Leavers Party' in September they'd all moved on really Sad

EllenJaneisnotmyname · 23/06/2011 14:04

Ha, DS2's black school shoes bit the dust in SATs week so he's been going to school in trainers ever since. Not part of the school uniform, but what are they going to do about it now? Exclude him? I think not.